Building construction



I Aug. 27, 1929. G. H. ELLIS BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Original Filed Aug. 19, ),925

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Patented Aug. 27, 1929.l

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GEORGE H. ELLIS, OF MINNEPOLS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNUR T0 THE NSlULTE 'CUM- PANY, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, A CORPORATIONC; 0F MINNESOTA.

B'UIILDRQ'G CONSTRUGTON.

Application filed .august 19, 1925, Serial No. 51,1'31. Renewed January S0, 31923.

-`his invention` relates to improvements in building construction and particularly to composition boards and Walls constructed therefrom, said composition boards being applied either outside or inside of the studding or Hoor stringers, and receiving coatings of plaster, cement or stucco.

@ne object of the invention is to provide Wall boards adapted kto be used in the con-r struction of either outer or inner Walls, which Will not Warp or buckle when Wet plaster cement or stucco is applied thereto,

and in which cracking at the joints will not i take place.

Another object of lthe invention is to provide a Wall board adapted to be used in a manner to permit longitudinal expansion oit vthe boards, Without causing the same to bulge or Warp.

ln order to thoroughly understand the invention `some explanation of the action of synthetic fibre or composition material in the presence ot moisture, is necessary. llt must be noted that in fibre composition boards more Water is absorbed than byordinary lumber. Moreover, under ordinary conditions ot' use there is unequal expansion ot of those portions of the material respectively which receive and do not receive the plaster. llloreoverr` in the synthetic'material the.. degree of expansion and contraction is greater. Because of this, some means must be pro-v vided t'or compensating forthis expansion and contraction so that the plaster' is not broken and so that the units do not buckle. This invention, relating as it does to improvements in building units constructed from Vsynthetic material, provides means compensatory for thisunusual` expansion and contraction both at the front and at the rear portions of the material, when secured as in a building, first by providing for greater thickness or, depth of plaster at the Joint, on and adjacent the plaster-receiving side to strengthen the plaster at this oint, and second to provide for expansion o the board to prevent buckling.

The means provided for increasing the depth of the plaster consists in forming adj acent portions of t-he` abutting boards `in a .of a Wall constructed manner to provide a depression or groove at faces such that slight compensatory fracture f can occur Without permitting leakage at the joint, and also includes theoverlappin l portions of contiguous units, to allow a inear movement ot both unit-s, all unitswithout such separation asy Will permit insulation leakage.

The invention consists generally in the constructions and combinations hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claim f ln the accompanying part of this specification:

ltligure l is a perspectiveview of a portion Y of my newly invented vvall boards;

drawings forming Figure 2 is a perspective otra section of one of the boards;

Figure 3 is a detailed sectionillustrating one lot the vexpansive joint constructions;

and y .v

lFigure 4 is a verticalsection through a portion of a wall embodying my invention.

In the drawing 2 represents a composition board, usually formed of wood or vegetable libre with a suitablebinder, and of any desired length', Width and thickness. 'llhese boards are largely used for Wall and ceiling coverings. They are usually nailed directly to the studding orto the under-side of the i floor stringers, and, Where usedA for the inner Wall of a building or room, theplaster is applied directly thereto. This plaster must be put on in afwet or moist condition and invariably causes the composition boards to expand. As these boards are usually applied to the Walls, the edges and ends of the separateboards are brought close'together and when `the boards expand they bulge, tearing laway from the nails and destroying the surface of the Wall." A similar result occui-s when the boards are used for an outer Wall and cement or stucco is applied thereto.

having a wall 3 at right an0'les to the surface of the lboard and a 'wall 4 parallel to such surface. This* arrangement produces a tongue 5, the outer wall of which is preferably flush with one surface of the board while the wall-4 of the tongue is generally located at about the center of the thickness of vthe board. vI make the wall 4 and the tongue 'at one edge of the board longer; that is, extending a (greater distance from the edge of the boar than does the `pcorrevsponding tongue at the other edge, andothcr side, of the ,board as" clearly indicated in Figurel.

The result is that when the` boards are put in place, at every joint between the boards, a long and a short tongue will come to-- gether, therebyrle'aving a groove 7 .between eachwall 3, and the opposing wall of then tongue 5, at the edges of the boards fornii ing the surfaces to which the plaster is applied@ When a plaster coat8 (Figure 4) pis applied to the surfaces of the ,boards 2, as indicated in 4Figure 4, the wet plaster will cause an expansion of the portion of the board with which it is-in contact.l .This willl tongue 5 to move towards each other. As

these walls are separated by the groove or recess 7 (see `Figures ,1 and v4) they 'may move, thus permitting a considerable expan-v sion of the surface of the boa-rd, without any tendency to warp or buckle( y 'i f f lSimilarly in nailing or otherwisesecuring Y the boards to the studding or strngers of y the building frame, II leavenspace 9-between the ends` of every two boards and IV secure vthe ends of the boards lby placing short plates 10 over the-joints and securing them in position `by nails 11, passing through said plates,'and through the recesses 9j ahl into i h'this arrangement'the ends of the boar s are ca-I pable of 'movingtowards each-other asthe boards expand by reason of the application of wet plaster` or'cement thereto.

By inspection of Figure 4, .it will be seen that the area ofthe abutting surfaces 16` and 17 is comparatively small. This reduc-tion of surface contact' permits theseportions to be more easily compressed, so ',thatthe board will not buckle. It will-be noted that'even though, slight fracturejof the slabs at these points may take place,I the airtight joint will be maintained due to the overlapped arrangement of the abutting portions.

I am thus enabled to provide a wall surface .to which wet plaster or mortar may beH applled without causing any bulging or buckling of the composition boards of which the surface of thewall is constructed.

The notch or recess 7 at the joint line -notf only reduces the thickness of the material in 'the ne1ghborhood ofthe joints,'but provides for localized` linear expansion of the outer 4. As a new article of manufacture, a

portion of the slab, and also provides for an extra thickness of plaster at the joint. Moreover, by decreasing the areas of the abutting surfaces at-thel inner portion of the units or slabs, compression, and even someltimes slight fracture, can take place before the board will buckle and, therefore, will prevent buckling; lThe wet plaster -in contact with the front of the board expands 1t to a greater degree than the back portion. It is evident that if the board expands in the wet area it will dry and contract in this y area as the plaster dries. Inasmuch as the outer and inner portions of each slab require to expand and contract in different and) varying degrees, the present invention also provides a construction whereby this' can be accomplished without severe fracture-.of the materlal or without vany substantial buckling thereof. This present invention, therefore, provides means for taking care .of the uneven .Y expansion respectively of the frontand back portions of the board.

I do not limit myself to the details of construction' nor to any particular dimensions of the composition boards, or of the tongues formed on the edges thereof.

I claim as my invention 1. As a new" 'article of manufacture, a composition fibre board having opposite edgescorner notched to provide two'recessesy respectively facing in opposite directions at opposite, face sides of the board, the depth of one lof the recesses in direction f=trans' versely ofthe board being greater'than the other. f

As al new article of manufacture a composition fibre board having opposite edges corner notched in opposite parallel edges to provide lap projections, 'the lap projection` at one longitudinal edge being of greaterV depth transversely of the board than that ofthe other Alongitudinal edge respective projections fbeing formed by corner notching in opposite directions inwardly from opposite face sidesA of the board. l

V3. As a new article of manufacture, ya v composition "fibre board. having opposite longitudinal/edges corner` notched to provide two recesses respectively facing in opposite directions at opposite face sides of the board, the depth of one of the recesses in direction transversely of the board being' greater than theothe'r.-,l

. 12o composition libre board having opposite Alongitudinal edges corner notched in oppoi site parallel edgestoprovide lap projections, the lap projection at one longitudinal edge being. of greater depth transversely of the board than that of the v,other longitudinal vedge respective projections beingformed by corner notching in opposite directions inwardly fromyopplosite face sides of the board.4 5. In combinationwith vspaced studding,

in theregion of the joint. t

oint.

boards engaging 'the studding,`with ends of consecutive boards spaced apart, at thestudding, plates bridging-the joints thus formed, and fastening devices passing through the plates, between the ends and into the studding, to obtain clamping action of the plates whereby the ends of the boards are separated to permit plaster to enter and form a bond with the fastening devices and recesses, the spacing further allowing an expansion and contraction of the board lengthwise without buckling.

6. A support, a plurality of slabs of composition ibre arranged on the support, and havingymarginal portions reduced in'thickness and overlapped to form an expansion joint, a portion of the slabs being cut away to provide a depression extending"towardn and across and lengthwise of the joint, so` that when plaster is applied it will be thicker in the region of the joint, crosswise of and throughout its longitudinalextent. 7. ln combination with a support slabs of fibre material secured to the support with each slab marginally overlapping the adjacent slab, the overlapping portions of said slabs being reducedin thickness to reduce` the area of end-abutment and weaken said slabs in the overlapping region, said' slabs being "formed to provide a depression lying in opposition to the overlapping area, soy that when plaster is applied it will be thicker yt3. A. support, a plurality of slabs composed of composition libre arranged on the support and having' longitudinal marginal portions overlapped and ende'abutted, the overlapping portions being reduced in thickness to reduce the area of end-abutment and weaken them, and the slabs being outu to provide a depression in 'the overlapped region for the reception of plaster to increase the thicknessof a plaster coat applied to the surface ofthe slab in the region ofthe 9. In combination with a support slabs of fibre material secured to the support with 1each slab marginallyoverlapping the 'adjacent slab, the overlapping portion of said ,slabs being reducedin thickness toreduce the 'areaiof end-abutment and weaken said slabs in the overlapping region, said slabs being formed to .provide a depression lying in opposition to and extending lengthwise of the overlapping area, so that when plaster is applied it will be thi'ckerin the region of the joint.

l0. A support, a plurality of slabs com-- posed of composition libre arranged on the 'support and having longitudinal marginal portions overlapped and end-abutted, the overlapping portions being reduced in thickness to reduce the area of end-abutment and vweaken them, and the slabs being cutto provide a depression lying `across and extending lengthwise in the overlapped region, for the reception of plaster-to increase the thickness of a plaster coat applied to the surface of the slab in the region of the joint.

1l. A plaster base comprising a series of panels adapted to be arranged adjacent to being of different widths' whereby channels will remain for the forming of keys in the sheet yof plaster applied to the base.

`12. ln a wall, a plurality of'adjoining rectangular moisture absorbable plaster boards having plaster holding outer surfaces, a coat of plaster adhering to the faces, overlapping flanges extending from thei edges of said boards, the opposite flanges of each board being of different widths, so as to form plaster key forming recesses. y

13. ln Va structure of the character described, a wall, plaster covering the, wall, said wall having a plaster lholding outer; surface and horizontal and vertical channels in its outer face, whereby keys of said plaster lwill be formed in said channels, said wall comprising tiers of panels placed end to end in staggered relations, with respect to the panels above and below, and the adjoining edges of all of said panels` being edges withv reversely arranged reduced edge portions, adapted to complement similar edge portions of other panels adjoining said edges, said complementing edge portions being of different widthsfwhereby channels will remain 'for the forming of reenforcing ridges lin the sheet of plaster applied to the base.

15. A plaster base, for a wall, comprising a pluralityof panels arranged intiersywith the panels of each tier in staggered relations with respect to the panels of the adjacent tiers, said plaster base having a plaster holding outer surface and having horizontal and ver-tica channels in its outer face whereby .reinforcing ribs will be 'formed in the plaster applied to the base,'the adjoinvided with voverlapping reduced edge portions, one each of which edge portions is ing horizontal edges ofthe panels beingl proter holdingouter surface and having opposite edges' With reversely arranged reduced edge portions adapted to complement similar edge portions of other panels adjoining said 5 edges, said complementing edge portions, huving'cross sections the area of one greater than'the other, whereby the complementing channels for the reception offplaster to .thereby form reinforcing ridges in a sheet 10 of plaster applied to the base. l

In witness whereof I .have hereunto set my hand this 13th day of August, 1925.

GEORGE H. ELLIS. 

